Morning journal and courier., 1887-05-11
ANOTHER MURDER CASE.

House Subjected Last Night to a l Rigorous Examination in the Police l Buildtng-Murdered and Robbed.
 A startling discovery was made yesterday
 morning at o'clock by MT. Smith, an East
 Haven milkman. On entering the premises
 33 Spruce street, few doors from George
 street, to leave quart of milk as was his
 daily custom for an aged woman named Mrs.
 Ernst, he behe1d her lifeless form stretched
 upon a cloth-covered sofa in her room. Con-
 trary to custom at that hour the door of her
 room, a basement room, was wide open and
 all the appearances indicated that murder
 had been committed. The deceased was
 bound hand and foot. The mortified milk
 man rushed from the scene and aroused H.
 M. Cohen, a dealer in watches who lived
 near, and the two men repaired to the scene
 of the tragedy and then raised the occupants
 of the whole house by their shouts. Soon
 the room where the dead woman lay, which
 was her barroom, swarmed with men, women
 and children. The house where the tragedy
 was enacted is large, old structure or rook- cry containing many tenements. Mrs. Ernst
 was found lying upon her side upon the sofa 1 which stood in the corner in front of the bar. Her hands were securely tied with a pocket l handkerchief, while her legs were ! likewise secured by another hand kerchief. Her mouth was gagged by another
 handkerchief which in her struggles had l been projected out of her mouth. Froth and
 blood at the mouth showed that the old lady had died of strangulation; no signs of blows l or bruises were apparent, nor nail prints or other marks on the neck. The dress across 1 the bosom had been torn aside as if in des- 4oo 4rp tyaf
 book or purse there. On the floor near the 1 sofa was one of the slippers worn by de. | ceased; the other was on her right foot. Near by on the sofa was the dead woman's staff, :, | her constant companion for years to aid her
 in hobbling about the house. All about were plain evidences that the house had been
 ransacked and that robbery had been com ! mitted as we'll as murder. Bureau | drawers and table drawers stood | half open and the contents askew, and even | the bedtick had been ripped open as if | the murderers had looked there for concealed
 treasures. Everything about the premises | gave evidence of having had complete | overhauling; even the boxes, coal scoops and pails were tumbled about.
 One of the first things done after the | crowd had collected was to call up Police | Officer Cannon, who lives in the brick block I just below and who had just returned from l his nights work. His wife heard the calls | and awoke the officer. He repaired to the 1 scene and found noisy, excited, and awe stricken crowd of people on the premises l where the tragedy had been committed, and as soon as possible Chief of Police Bollman, Coroner Mix, Captain Hyde and other off cials had been notified and arrived at the scene. At once every exertion was made to obtain all or any evidence that would throw light on the Case. Everybody in the house old enough was questioned to find out when the deceased was last seen and under I.1o os, NI1A,,o Grro fo~a lies in the house and it took some question ing to go around the whole party, everyone of whom were so excited as hardly to be able to collect their senses. Dr. White, the med ical examiner, arrived little later and found upon examination that the woman died of strangulation. It was also learned that she had been sufferer from asthma for years.
 Mrs. Ernst occupied the entire basement, which was done off into six rooms, of which she only occupied three. She was owner of the building. She kept licensed saloon up to January 1 last, but at that time she an nounced that she had given up business, and told Officer Cannon that the reason was if she kept on selling liquor she would be obliged to close up several entrances to her place according to law.
 Mrs. Ernst pretended to keep temperance bar since she gave up her license, but the murder has demonstrated that she was un- lawfully continuing her business just the same as though she had taken out license. The front entrance to Mrs. Ernsts place was under No. B and in order to get to it it is necessary to descend flight of rickety stone steps, The front room, which is good sized apartment with rather low ceiling, was
 used as the barroom. At the right of the about six feet long. Back of the bar is a dingv mirror, small and cracked. There were no bottles in sight behind the bar, al- though plenty of whisky, claret and sherry wines were discovered.
 Beside the sofa or lounge there were in the room where the deceased lay two beer tables and several chairs, parlor stove and several old prints one picture of Bonaparte sur veying battlefield with his generals, anoth- CT picture of Wagner. The floor was sanded. The deceased had not gone to bed when visited by her murderers, being com
 plete1y dressed. She had a brown knit hood on her head and was dressed in calico skirt, calico basque and gingham apron, and upon her feet were heavy blue and white stockings. Directly back of the barroom was the bedroom, in which were an old fashioned chest of drawers and a couple of chairs. Everything in this room was topsy turvy. Next to the bedroom was the kitch en. These were commonly supposed to be all the rooms the old lady had, but back of the bar was little passageway that led to small apartment containing table, an old stove and few chairs. This, it has been
 
 tain her visitors, of whom it appears she had great many, both male and female.
 The visitors were of dissolute character and made use of the extra apartments, which were rendered free of cost except the revenue she obtained from the sale of beverages.
 Chief Bollman, who several years ago acted as legal counsel for Mrs. Ernst in a money matter, was surprised to ascertain the char
 acter of the place she kept. Late in the afternoon yesterday handkerchief marked
 IS. s." was found among the murdered wo- mans effects, and is believed to be the property of well known woman about town.
 The murderer or murderers probably found $400 or more as the old lady must have had that amount on the premises MT. Maier Zunder has acted as trustee for the old lady for some years and as nearly as he can de- termine that was the amount she had. MT. Zunder had often warned Mrs. Ernst that she ran great risk in carrying so much money with her and it was not long ago that he cautioned her against keeping the $4O0 in the house. Mrs. Ernst replied that she was intending to pay a painters bill of $200 and then she would not have so much money by her. Whether she paid this bill is not known. MT. Zunder has $1 ,500 of her money under his care in bank.
 Mrs. Ernst had no relatives in this country so far as could be learned. She was from Bavaria and had brother-in-law in Wur-
 
 property had been left by will. This broth erin law paid visit to Mrs. Ernst last year. He is said to be well-to-do ana holds the po- sition of gardener to the crown and is large florist. He holds some office correspon ding to the position of alderman here. She left also $500 to Mrs. Kreuger, woman who used to nurse her when she i'll, and S1,- 500 to charitable institution. She had been talking of altering her will this week and had consulted Lawyer s. Spier about it. The deceased was seventy-four years old and came to this country thirty-fve years ago. She was thrice married. Her first husbands name was Pfaf. He died before she came to this land. In New York she married MT. Franz, butcher. She ran 8 little saloon while he worked at his business. Franz died of typhoid fever superinduced by wound in the head caused by his being struck by a beer bot tie in a barroom fight Mrs. Franz then married John Ernst, about whom 1it- tie is known save that he used to spend most of his time loa6ng about the house assisting his wife in conducting her bar. Ernst died ooroa siv vaars 'aoo of tvnhoid fever also